Police in those communities and other law enforcement agencies say they are working together and putting considerable resources toward this problem.
“We had the same thing going on years ago with the drug epidemic, so we developed drug blitzes and those were successful, so the thought was maybe we could do something like that because so many people’s property is being taken or destroyed,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck.
Kettering police Chief Chip Protsman said technology like license plate readers are helping identify stolen vehicles and catch suspects. He said there’s other technology police can deploy, but declined to share more details, saying that could compromise police operations.
Local residents can help prevent car theft by locking their doors, not leaving their keys inside the vehicles, parking in well-lit areas, installing alarms or immobilization devices and using GPS tracking devices or systems.
This year, the Dayton Police Department has experienced a more than 60% increase in car thefts, while the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has seen a nearly 70% increase.
Car thefts are up 30% in Trotwood, and they have risen by slightly more than that in Vandalia. Kettering has had 63 cars reported stolen, compared to 25 during the same period last year, more than a 150% increase.
The number of thefts in these communities was not much different from last year until July, when videos of people stealing Kias and Hyundais started making the rounds online, especially on social media websites like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
The videos revealed that some vehicles can be started just by breaking open the steering column and using a standard USB cord to activate the ignition.
Dayton has about 1,065 vehicles stolen this year, compared to about 665 during the same period in 2021.
“This is kind of an important milestone because we have not been in this position since 2008,” said Dayton police Major Jason Hall, commander of the patrol operations division.
This is a local, regional and national problem, but local law enforcement partners are using technology and coordinating efforts to deter car theft and catch the individuals responsible for these crimes, authorities said.
Hall said car thefts impact the entire community, and despite what some people say, this is not a victimless crime.
Car theft victims suddenly lose transportation they rely on to get to work and the grocery store and medical appointments and other important activities, he said.
Some car thieves flee, driving recklessly and at dangerous speeds, when they encounter police, Hall said, and culprits in other parts of the state have been using stolen vehicles to help commit other crimes as well.
A couple of Dayton officers who came across a stolen vehicle on Oct. 3 were nearly struck by the suspect as he fled, according to body camera footage of the incident shared by police.
The fleeing SUV damaged a police cruiser and another vehicle.
“Folks are driving, they’re attempting to evade, and it is not their vehicle and they’re not concerned about the damages,” Hall said.
Local law enforcement agencies have been meeting weekly to share information about the trends they are seeing, the locations of the vehicle thefts, their recoveries and some of the people suspected of being involved, Hall said.
A joint operation on Oct. 18 involving manpower from a variety of police agencies helped recover seven stolen vehicles and resulted in a dozen arrests, Hall said.
Two days later, another police blitz led to the recovery of two stolen vehicles, one apprehension and the filing of criminal charges for other kinds of crimes, including a firearm offense, Hall said.
Sheriff Streck said during these blitzes, police officers with other agencies are temporarily sworn in as deputy sheriffs so they have authority outside their normal jurisdictions, across the entire county.
Streck said some people seem to think this criminal activity is funny, but it’s not, and many community members are losing the first or second most valuable thing they own.
“I am really annoyed with the word ‘joyriding.’ There’s no joy to the family or the individuals who have lost their property, who have their insurance rates go up — it’s called a felony,” he said.
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